Bottle-cooling device



Jan. 11 1927,

- G. A. NUHRAH ET AL BOTTLE COOLING DEVICE Filed July 31 1925 amen 4101.5

N a r E I carye Nukra/h Emile fireman. 'earye F'Fasewal Z 92, w WM M Patented Jan. 11, 1927.

UNITED STATES PATENT orrlca.

(moses a. NUHBAH, Bull E mom, am eaonen r. nosawann, or am enema,

- LOUISIANA.

BOTTLE-COOLING DEVICE.

Application fled July 31, 1925. Serial No. 47,818.

Our present invention relates to improvements in means for handling bottled beverages of the type in which they are stored under refrigerating or cooling conditions.

The invention aims to provide a simple, economical, and eflicient means by which a large number of bottles may be retained within a cooling chamber and readily inserted therein and removed therefrom.

The invention further aims to provide an apparatus of this kind in which one or more units may be used at will in connection w th any ordinary refrigerator box, being readily inserted therein and removed therefrom individually or collectively as desired.

With theseand other objects is view, the invention comprises the novel features of construction, and arrangement and combination of parts hereinafter described, and defined by the appended claims.

In the drawmgs:-

Figure 1 illustrates a plan view of an ordinary ice box, with the cover removed.

' Fig. 2 is a transverse section on line 2-2 of Fig. 1.

Fig. 3 is a transverse vertical sectional view of one of the units.

Fig. 3" is a sectional view corresponding to the lower portion of Fig. 3 with the mov able parts in a different position.

Fig. 4 is a sectional detail. Referrin by reference characters to this drawing, the numeral 1 designates the ice box which is intended to be representative of any desired form of top opening ice box or refrigerator, and 2 designates a plurality of bottle handling units therein. Any number of these may be inserted in the ice box and grouped in any desired manner therein, ten being shown for convenience, arranged toleave a central space free for ice.

Each of the units 2 comprisesa receptacle divided into two compartments 2 and 2" by atransverse partition wall 2, the receptacle being of such shape that each of the compartments is adapted to receive and hold bottles of the size or type desired, such bottles being indicated at 4. The container or receptacle is'made open at the bottom, as it is intended that it shall be used in connection with an ice box filled with water, as we bott and to hold the container elevated above the bottom of the ice box so that, water will have free access to the interior compartments thereof, it is provided with feet or projections indicated at 2". One of these compartments, 2 is designated as a receiving coinpartment, and the other, 2", as a delivery compartment.

The central partition 2 terminates at its lower edge above side walls, or in other words, is cut away at its lower. end so as to provide a transfer space so that the bottom bottle in the compartment 2 may be transferred to what we term the delivery compartment. For effecting this transfer we delivery compartment so that the topmost bottle, of the stack in the delivery compartment, which is in proximity to the upper end thereof, may be removed. This mechanism preferably com rises an oscillating member 5, preferabl ma e of sheet metal, having side arms or ugs 5- fulerumed at a to the container walls, and having a curved portion 5 which in the normal position of the parts, underlies the bottom-most bottle, in the compartment 2" and supports the stack of es therein. Means are provided by which the transfer device may be rocked on its pivots to cause the curved up end to pass out of the path of the lowermost bottl.

In Fig. 3 we have shown this member 5 in position to sustain the stack of bottles in the compartment 2, while in Fig. 3 we have shown it rocked into bottle releasing position. When the curved up end-is swung to the left and the lowermost bottle released, it will dropdown in the receiving comparts ment but will be prevented from passing into the delivery compartment by reason of lack of space between the horizontally extending portion of the transfer device 5 and the bottom of the intermediate partition 2. If, however, the transfer device is again rocked to the position shown in Fig. 3, the curved up end will enter between the lowermost bottle and the next uppermost one to prevent further descent of the stack of bottles, while the said lowermost bottle will roll 'down the inclined surface of the'transfer 1 transfer device is to provide a pair of reciprocating rods 6 suitably guided by the end walls of the delivery compartment and pivotally connected at their lower ends to the transfer device, and having their upper ends connected by links 7 to a. hinged cover member 8 at the topof the delivery compartment.

Thus, when it is desired to remove a cooled bottle from the delivery compartment it is only necessary to lift up the cover 8, where-' on the stack of bottles in the delivery compartment will be raised and the topmost bottle removed. Simultaneously, as before explained, a bottle will be released from the bottle receiving compartment and positioned by transfer to the delivery compartment on the return of the cover to closure position. To prevent the stack of bottles. in the delivery compartment from dropping back after they have been raised, and thus interfering with the transfer of the fresh bottle from the receiving to the delivery compartment, we provide a pivoted retaining device 9 which is movable freely upward to permit the pamage of the bottle, but it will resist downward movement thereof after it has passed the retaining device.

A hinged cover member 10 is preferably provided for the receiving compartment.

The container may conveniently be formed of sheet metal or any other suitable material of sufficient strength, and which will withstand the corrosive action of the ice water, the same being true of the other parts hereinbefore referred to.

In practice the delivery compartment would be kept full of bottles and the receiving compartment would be filled often enough to provide a storage supply for transfer to the delivery compartment. As the compartments are at all times kept filled with ice water, danger of breakage of the bottles byinsertion or manipulation in the compartments, is avoided. At the same time, should any bottle become broken, or access to the storage container be required for this or for cleaning, or any other purpose,

this is readily accomplishedby lifting the container unit bodily from the receptacle box.

It will be obvious that the units may be made in different sizes to accommodate different sizes of bottles, this being illustrated in Fig. 1, wherein we have shown the two central units as of larger sizethan the, side rows of units.

Having thus' described our invention,

municating at the bottom and each being of a width corresponding substantially to the diameter of a bottle, a movable bottle retaining, releasing and transfer device located beneath the receiving compartment and adapted to support the lowermost of the series of bottles, and means operable from the top of the receptacle whereby the said transfer device may be actuated to transfer the bottle from the receiving to the delivery compartment.

2. The apparatus of claim 1, in which the transfer device comprises a rocking member having a ledge portion designed tosuccessively release the lowermost bottle of the receiving compartment and a laterally extending portion which serves to guide the released bottle, into the delivery compartment and elevate the same therein.

3. Apparatus according to claim 1, in which a hinged lid is provided at the top of the receptacle which is operatively connected with the transfer device.

'4. The combination with an ice chest, of a bottle receptacle having an open bottom and a central vertical partition terminating short of the lower end of said receptacle and forming receiving and delivery compartments, a rocking transfer device located at the lower end of said receptacle below said partition and at the bottom of the receiving compartment for supporting the bottles in said receiving compartment, and an operating device whereby said supporting means may be operated from the top of the receptacle to transfer the lowermost bottle to the delivery compartment.

5. A bottle holding receptacle for removable insertion in ice chests comprising a casing having an open bottom and a vertical partition terminating short of the bottom and forming two compartments each of a width slightly exceeding the diameter of a bottle, a rocking member fulcrumed at the bottom of said receptacle and having a bottle supporting seat located at the lower end of the receiving compartments for supporting the pile of bottles therein, said rocking member projecting laterally into the delivery compartment, means extending to the delivery compartment and serving as bottle transfer and elevating .means, and an operating rod pivotally connected to said rocking member at its lower end and extending upward to the top of the receptacle, and means in said delivery compartment for retaining the bottles elevated by said rocking member.

6. A bottle holding receptacle for ice chests having receiving and delivery compartments communicating at the bottom,

each being of a width slightl exceeding ment and connected at the lower end tosaid the diameter of a bottle, an oscil ating transfer member located at the bottom of the receptacle having a curved portion located at the bottom of the receivlng compartment, and side arms projecting into the delivery compartment, and bottle elevating means extending to the top of the delivery compartside arms. In testl natures.

mony whereof, We aflix our sig- GEORGE A. NUHRAH. EMILE THOMAN. GEORGE F. ROSEWALL. 

